Testimonials From our Guests
See what our guests have to say about their experience of participating in
the Grown Between Worlds podcast...
I had the pleasure of being a guest on this podcast, and the experience stayed with me long after the conversation ended.
What makes this show special is its rare commitment to nuance - a willingness to sit with complexity rather than rush toward easy conclusions.
The hosts create a space where differing perspectives aren’t flattened or debated for spectacle, but genuinely explored with curiosity and care.
In a time that often feels defined by disconnection and noise, this podcast offers something deeply human: a voice for connection. It holds space for honesty, vulnerability, and thoughtful dialogue, even when the topics carry real weight or discomfort.
I’m grateful to have been part of a conversation that honors the complexity of our shared experiences and reminds us that understanding is still possible.
The experience that I had - the warmth, the validation and the shared relatable experiences - provided a safe space to share my deep thoughts and feelings.
I highly recommend being a guest because it will give you an understanding about your own self that you haven’t seen before.
It was such an honour to be invited to share my immigration experience on the podcast.
Forouz is a warm and thoughtful host who created a really supportive space for the conversation and captured the themes of my story beautifully.
I’m excited to see the podcast continue to grow and reach more listeners.
Being a guest on Grown Between Worlds and being in conversation with Forouz was incredibly meaningful. Forouz created a space of curiosity and compassion to explore experiences related to being an adult child of immigrants.
I had a great experience being a guest on Grown Between Worlds. Forouz is a warm, welcoming and engaging host.
I am grateful for the support, guidance and thoughtful reflections that she offered throughout the process.
100% of our guests say they would recommend being a guest on Grown Between Worlds to others.
Guests have shared that they especially appreciated:
The thoughtful support and communication they received from us before, during and after their recording session.
The clarity and transparency of our recruitment and informed consent process.
The range of options offered to them around anonymity, the use of their name, image and biography, and how they wished to be included in promotional materials.
Guests have also valued the opportunity to review their recorded episode before publication, with the option to request edits if they notice any significant factual errors or moments where they may have unintentionally overshared.
Meet our Season 1 Guests
Nikoo Sedaghat
(she/her)
Nikoo (Nikki) Sedaghat (she/her) is the founder of Sedâ Psychotherapy, a virtual practice in Ontario supporting individual mental health and relational wellbeing. As a Registered Psychotherapist, Nikoo's work is shaped by her lived experiences as a queer, neurodivergent, diasporic Iranian who grew up in Canada as the child of first-generation immigrants. These identities inform her strong commitment to anti-oppressive practice and her belief in the transformative power of authentic connections that embrace the full spectrum of the human experience.
Rayan Anton
(he/him)
Rayan Anton (he/him) is a queer, trans Palestinian man and the child of an immigrant family who moved to Canada in the early 1990s. He is a Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist, working predominantly with queer and trans youth of colour - many of whom also come from immigrant families. He is also a parent to a young child and is often thinking about what it means to hold on to cultural identity for himself and to pass it on to his son, in a society that is determined to erase Palestinian culture and identity.
Tracey Jastinder Mann
(she/they)
Tracey Jastinder Mann (she/they) is a practicing psychotherapist and a queer femme of colour who is working to support collective healing and liberation through their offerings of individual counselling, group facilitation and workshops. Their work is centred in an intersectional feminist approach to therapy and facilitation. Their focus is on creating a healing space where individuals can explore the emotional dimensions of life changes, experiences of trauma, grief and loss, while also attempting to understand how experiences of marginalization, privilege and power influence our lived experiences.
Gio Iacono
(he/him)
Gio Iacono (he/him) is an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. He completed his Masters and PhD at the University of Toronto. He identifies as a white, queer, cisgender man and is a first-generation university graduate, who immigrated to the USA from Canada. He has worked as a psychotherapist, clinical social worker, educator, community organizer, and researcher in a variety of health and community-based settings, for over 15 years. His community organizing and advocacy work have primarily focused on diverse LGBTQIA+ communities.
Xuan-Yen (X.Y.) Cao
(she/they)
Xuan-Yen (X.Y.) Cao (she/they) is a psychotherapist, community engagement facilitator and emerging artist who is deeply passionate about forging connections among individuals and communities through relational and multi-disciplinary approaches. Their lived experience and work with racialized, queer, newcomer, and neurodivergent individuals informs their practice and deep commitment to fostering mental and emotional well-being with an intersectional and anti-oppressive lens.
Sandra Borkovic
(she/her)
Sandra Borkovic (she/her) lives in Vancouver, Canada and works as a clinical counsellor in the public health sector. She is a first-generation immigrant who was born in Bosnia and raised in Serbia. She's also married to a first-generation immigrant from Russia, and they share two young children together.
Gentle Boundary Statement
Grown Between Worlds is a storytelling and reflective space — NOT a debate forum, a hot-take platform, or a place for sensationalized trauma.
While many guests work in mental health and community settings, this podcast does NOT provide therapy, clinical advice, diagnosis or crisis support.
If you are experiencing acute distress or are in crisis, please contact local emergency or mental health services in your region.
We are committed to creating a space grounded in respect, anti-oppression and compassionate dialogue.
Hate speech, harassment or dehumanizing rhetoric will not be tolerated in community interactions!
Land Acknowledgement
Grown Between Worlds is recorded and produced across lands now known as Toronto, Ontario (Canada) and Queensland (Australia).
In Toronto, we acknowledge that Tkaronto is situated on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabe, the Chippewa, the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, and the Mississaugas of the Credit River, and is covered by Treaty 13 and the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Treaty. This land is now home to many First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, as well as settlers and newcomers.
In Queensland, we acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which this work is created, and we pay respect to Elders past and present.
As a podcast exploring migration, belonging and identity, we recognize that our conversations take place within ongoing histories of colonization and displacement. We are committed to continued learning, reflection, and support of Indigenous-led communities and initiatives in the places we live and work.
